A project to design and build hydraulic robotic arms powered by syringes taught a class of engineering students about the challenges of the profession.

Teams demonstrated their creations for the third-year course “Manufacturing Process Design,” Thursday in the Centre for Engineering Innovation. Each project had to incorporate several joints and be able to grasp and lift an object, operated by rubber-piston needle syringes.

Designs incorporated wood and metal, dowels and glue, 3D-printed and molded plastics, employing fluids as different as oil and water to operate crab-like claws.

“We have some excellent projects,” said professor Jill Urbanic. “The students tried a lot of different approaches to the task.”

She noted that in their presentations, groups identified many of the same challenges.

“Friction, gears, material strength — any joint or seal is where failures will occur,” she said.

For their part, the students enjoyed showing off their solutions.

“In class we learn about different manufacturing systems,” said third-year industrial engineering major Jackie Ing. “Here we put them into practice in the shop, solving the problems of functionality.”

Her team fastened an electromagnet to the robot and demonstrated its ability to lift metal objects.

“I thought that was pretty innovative,” Ing said.

UWindsor’s School of Computer Science hosted the 14th Annual Regional Secondary School Computer Programming Competition on Friday, December 1.

The HAYnguins 2.0, one of the teams from Vincent Massey Secondary School, won first place. Team members Scott Xu, Jerry Chen, and Henning Jiang will get a plaque to display at their school and will each receive a $2,000 entrance scholarship to be used if they enroll in a UWindsor computer science program.

Joe Kuhn, the coach and teacher from Chatham Kent Secondary School, says the contest is a great way to expose students to a university environment.

“Our school brings a team every year because it is good opportunity to experience what UWindsor has to offer, to give the students exposure to a competitive environment, and also to have fun,” says Kuhn.

Twenty-three teams from nine secondary schools in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent competed. Each team of three students works on one computer to come up with the algorithm and code for five problems in three hours. The top six teams took home UWindsor entrance scholarships totaling $18,000.

For those students with little or no coding experience, the school runs two workshops prior to the competition to prepare students. Ziad Kobti, director of the School of Computer Science and competition organizer, says he emphasizes to the teachers the importance of having their students participate regularly in programming competitions.

“Major recruiters such as Google, Amazon, IBM and Microsoft, pay particular attention to students who regularly participate in competitions,” says Dr. Kobti. “Winning is great, but regular participation reflects a true passion for a career in computer programming.”

Early in Fall 2017, the School of Computer Science hosted the ACM Intercollegiate Programming Competition, the competition for programmers from Ontario universities.

“The secondary school programming competition is modeled after the university programming competition, thus giving these teens a true taste of professional competitive experience using the state of the art computing platform,” he says.

Looking to get caught up on your holiday gift shopping? There are several great choices right on campus!

Make your music-loving recipient among the first to experience a concert in the School of Creative Arts’ new Performance Hall inside the SoCA Armouries.

The winter 2018 concert line-up features the top student soloists, a performance by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra’s Trio of principal strings players, and an evening of jazz with vocalist Shahida Nurullah and pianist extraordinaire Tad Weed. A purchase of tickets to any three concerts earns a 20 per cent discount on each ticket. Check it out at uwindsor.ca/soca.

Still along the line of live entertainment, University Players offers a three-play series of tickets to Les Belle Soeurs, Love and Human Remains, and Big Love.

“They make great stocking stuffers,” says publicity co-ordinator Anna Galka. “A gift like this helps to get people out of the house during the dark days of winter.”

She notes that the three-pack saves more than 15 per cent off the cost of individual tickets, making them perfectly priced for gift giving. Learn more at universityplayers.com.

Speaking of savings, Lancer athletics is now selling the season pass for track and field. It includes entry to the Can Am Classic, the Team Challenge, the Ontario University Athletics championships and the U Sports championships for only $50, available at goLancers.ca/tickets.

Have someone more interested in getting active than standing on the sidelines? How about a winter semester FitPass from Lancer Recreation? Members get unlimited access to all fitness classes at the University of Windsor. With 15 classes per week over 10 weeks, that’s 150 classes. Members can choose daily from varying styles of classes ranging from high intensity interval training to kickboxing, retro aerobics and more.

“The easiest way to stick with your new year’s resolution goals, to get ready for a spring break trip, or to simply enjoy group fitness is with the FitPass,” says fitness co-ordinator Frank Jeney. “At only $64, that works out to less than $0.43 cents per class!”

Get the details on the Lancer Rec website.

Of course, the biggest single selection of UWindsor gifts is at the Campus Bookstore.

Marketing co-ordinator Martin Deck recommends a Windsor Lancers scarf, an official logo necktie, or the big mug.

“I call it human-sized because it’s made for real humans who love coffee,” Deck says. “It’s popular with the young and the formerly-young and available in black or blue for $11.95.”

Check out the bookstore’s catalog of apparel, giftware, school supplies, and more.

And for the truly hard to please, Food Services department head Dave McEwen recommends some UwinCASH.

“It’s our version of a gift card and can be used at all food outlets on campus, plus at the bookstore,” he says.

Place an order through the UwinCARD office.

Artists Sasha Opeiko (BFA 2009) and Sarah Beveridge (BFA 1997) are among those who will showcase recent works and share their creative process during the exhibition ’Tis the Season — 100 Artists, 100 Works, 100 Dollars, on Saturday, December 9, at SB Contemporary Art.

The studio, located at 1017 Church Street, will host a holiday card-making workshop from 10 a.m. to noon (admission by donation).

A free public reception will feature hot chocolate and great art from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.